In the Eastern Orthodox Church Holy Great Lent begins on 22 February this
year, and Holy Pascha Easter is celebrated on 11 April.

Nothing is so spiritually important for us all then to realize that
further spiritual nourishment for the soul is needed during the time of
Holy Great Lent. It's time for prayer, it's time for repentance, and it's
time for all of us to ask for forgiveness. We cannot enter Holy Great
Lent without realizing the need for us all to seek forgiveness from one
another, and our Lord God.

What is also essential for all of us is to go to Church services held
during Great Lent, and at the same time read the spiritual books available,
such as the lives of the saints, the Holy Fathers of our Church, and in
addition the Holy Scriptures. This period of time should be for us all
to shut off in our lives the old man, and put on spiritually the new man.
What we should be asking ourselves as well is what is our spiritual condition
at this time? Have we ourselves begun to climb the "Ladder of Divine
Ascent", and what step are we on at this time? Have we been doing
our morning or evening prayers? Have we been fasting? Fasting?
Yes fasting on Wednesday and Friday -we still fast. So too during
the period of Holy Great Lent we fast strictly with love during the period
of these forty days.

Holy Great Lent is also a time for all Eastern Orthodox Christians too
reach out and care about someone who is in desperate need of our assistance.
We can help the causes the Orthodox Church has available -so many Christian
appeals and concerns! We can as well as work within our communities
in caring for the homeless who need food not just at Christmas and Thanksgiving,
but all the time. In assisting and caring for our brothers and sisters
in Christ our Lord we bring great peace to ourselves, and at the same time
Glorify our Lord God!
Holy Great Lent is a time for us to go to both Holy Confession and
Holy Communion, and as well as humbly making these preparations in prayer
beforehand.

We should as well begin to learn about the "Jesus Prayer" or also called
the "Prayer Of The Heart":

O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy
upon me a sinner!

Do this prayer and learn how to have this spiritually
rewarding prayer reach into your heart. Once Holy Great Lent is over this
prayer will remain with you always!

The period of Holy Great Lent is indeed a spiritual time for us all
to learn about the purification of our souls, and the perfect struggle
of our desire to see the divine grace, and the love of our Lord God before
us all! All of us can walk through through this period of time with
great love for our God and also take the necessary steps with our Lord
Jesus Christ to His Mystical Supper, to His Cross, and finally to His Glorious
Resurrection.

May our Lord God touch us all by His divine grace and love! Finally
may we be humbly forgiven! Forgive Me!

Holy Great Lent.
In The Love of Christ Our Lord & True God,
+ Rev. Presbyter Demetrios SerfesWho prays for you and with you!
February 1999